Susan Jung’s roast turkey recipe - deboned and stuffed
From food-safety tips to deboning a big bird, Susan Jung tells you how it’s done. And a flavourful stuffing makes this recipe even more special
This looks like a regular roasted turkey, but your guests will be surprised when you slice it: in place of the bones, there’s a flavourful stuffing.
There are several ways to remove all the bones from a bird in preparation for cooking it. The hardest method is tunnel-boning – removing all the bones without cutting through the skin. Next on the scale of difficulty is the technique described in this recipe: you slice through the skin along the length of the backbone, then peel away the meat from the entire carcass. With a chicken and smaller birds, it’s not difficult, but a turkey is large and unwieldy.
The third deboning method is the easiest: have your butcher do it. If you can find a butcher willing to do this, I strongly suggest you take this route.
BONELESS ROAST TURKEY STUFFED WITH PORK, SAVOY CABBAGE, CHESTNUTS, PISTACHIOS AND DRIED CRANBERRIES
Leave sufficient time for this recipe. If the bird is frozen, thaw it far enough in advance so you can debone and salt it at least two days before cooking. As with all poultry recipes, be scrupulous when it comes to food safety: keep the turkey chilled, thoroughly wash your hands and everything else that comes into contact with the bird, and leave enough time to cook it (about five hours). It should be put into the oven as soon as you finish stuffing and trussing it. Chill the leftovers immediately after finishing the meal.